


Braving GGO, Together

by CeruleanShockwave



Category: Sword Art Online
Genre: BAMF!Asuna, F/M, Gen, feminist!Kirito, strong!Asuna
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-19
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-04-25 00:47:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14367306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeruleanShockwave/pseuds/CeruleanShockwave
Summary: Asuna doesn't plan to let Kirito risk his life to face down a PKer all alone. How can she keep her promise to him if she does so? She has to protect him. So that's what she'll do - by forcing him to let her come into GGO with him. Watch as they befriend Sinon and face down Death Gun, all together. They'll decimate their enemies as the perfect team - Kirito and Asuna!





	Braving GGO, Together

"Asuna, I can't let you! Don't you understand why I'm doing this?" shouted an irritated Kirito at his stubborn, brown-haired girlfriend with whom he was currently arguing. Their first fight... who knew it would turn out to be over something like this?

" _No_ , Kazuto, I do not understand!" a very angry Asuna yelled back at her black-haired, hard-headed, overprotective idiot of a boyfriend. Her usage of his actual name, and not his SAO username, showed just how furious she was. "I have spent most of my time so far after the whole Sword Art Online incident being a useless, limp doll in a bed! Hell, I almost escaped, but I was stupid enough to stop and stare at the things Sugou was doing, and then I got caught, and I couldn't even defeat those damn monsters who recaptured me. I was this close, and I blew it!" She held her fingers close together to emphasize her point. "I need a chance to prove to myself that I still am Lightning Flash Asuna. That that brave, strong warrior is still an integral part of me. And remember the promise I made you?  _I'm not going to die because I'm going to be the one protecting you,_ I said. How can I do that if I don't come into Gun Gale Online with you and help out, huh? What if you fall victim to this PKer – Death Gun, was it? I will _not_  stand by and watch while you go risk your life for some random strangers on the request of a dumb old government official. If you're going in, I'm coming with you!" A little red had risen to her cheeks, and she breathed hard, impassioned after her little speech.

Kirito was a little taken aback. It was obvious that Asuna hadn't prepared this speech – she had only learnt about his news now, after all – but she had so many points! Well, even then, he couldn't put her life at risk – she was too precious to him! Better he go alone and face whatever this was.

But then again... she made some extremely valid points... and when he really thought about it... he frowned, trying to clear the irritation from his head. Asuna would be great backup – a superb fighter; knew when to contradict his ideas and when not to; knew very well how to put him in his place; could handle herself; wasn't clingy and needy – in fact, the exact opposite; was very intuitive; level-headed compared to his own recklessness; and her cooking was amazing, too... in short, she was the perfect partner for this expedition. He was pretty close to caving and letting her come.

He didn't want to endanger her, though. The very thought made him shiver in fear.

But then again...

Kirito's mind flashed back to the SAO incident. He'd done well as a solo player, but partying up with Asuna gave them both an edge – they made up for areas the other lacked in. Kirito took care of the heavier, more damage-inducing strikes, while Asuna attacked with a flurry of fast, light thrusts – she would force her opponent to leave openings, allowing Kirito to deal the finishing blow.

In short, she would be a great asset to help find out about this Death Gun character. She could take care of herself, Kirito's brain reassured him. She was strong, smart and absolutely capable.

"All right," he said heavily. "I see your point. We work really well together, and I shouldn't have tried to stop you – you would have come along anyway, wouldn't you?" he added with a teasing smile.

She grinned right back, all fury evaporating in an instant. "What do you take me for?"

"See, I thought about it, and it would be pretty hard going there without you. I mean, you bring so many things to the table – you're quick on your feet, you're a lot faster than me and I'm stronger than you physically, so we cover each other's weaknesses, and you're not clingy or needy, you can handle yourself... it's a good idea, but I don't want you getting hurt for me or taking any blows in my place, get it? I don't want a repeat of Floor 75. Promise me." he told her in a serious tone.

Asuna sobered up too. "I can't promise you that, but I  _will_ try not to get hurt. Okay?"

"Good enough." Kirito agreed.

"So… we go to the hospital?" she asked him.

"First I have to ring up Kikuoka and tell him I'm taking you."

"Go ahead." She tossed him his phone from the side table, and he deftly caught it, opening up the phone app and dialling the government official's number.

"Hello? Yes, this is Kazuto Kirigaya... my girlfriend Asuna Yuuki is coming with me into GGO... she won't let me go alone... won't back down either... it's okay, she'll be fine, she's a great partner, worked really well with me in SAO – kind of the reason why I could clear it, you know... can you please make hospital arrangements for her too? Yes, thank you..."

Asuna blushed lightly at the things he was saying. She wasn't arrogant, but she knew they were true. Even so, it felt good to hear those things coming out of his mouth.

Kirito cut the call and turned to the red-cheeked Asuna, a smile on his face.

"He says it'll take another ten minutes to set up your FullDive equipment, but luckily they had a spare in case the one they'd planned for me to use broke down. And it'll take us about twenty minutes to get there walking. So let's go when you're ready!"

Asuna returned the smile.

"I was born ready." she shot back, grabbing both their coats and heading out the door, waiting for Kirito to finish locking up, as his aunt and cousin were out having a 'mother-daughter day', and they wouldn't be back till night. He turned the key and slipped it into his pocket.

"Don't you have to call your aunt and Suguha?" Asuna asked curiously.

"They already know," he replied. "Kikuoka called them earlier and told them. What about your parents?"

"They don't care what I do as long as I keep my grades up," shrugged Asuna. "Works for me."

"Okay then," he beamed. "Off to the hospital it is!"

He slipped his arm through hers, and together they walked slowly in the afternoon sun, just enjoying each other's presence on the sunny summer day. It was such a perfect day, Kirito hated to waste it in the virtual world worrying himself sick over some serial murderer, but he knew it had to be done.

Plus, he wasn't alone. Asuna was with him.

What could go wrong?

* * *

Nurse Aki beamed down at Asuna.

"All right, let's hook you up!" she said cheerfully. "Off with the shirt, please. Don't worry, I won't stare!"

"Um, if you don't mind, I'd like to place them myself. Sorry, I'm just a bit uncomfortable with others touching me there – I had a traumatic experience with that," Asuna said nervously.

The nurse put her hands on her hips and shot Asuna a disapproving frown. "Well, why didn't you just say so? Men nowadays have no sense. They go on the top and under, and two on each side of your abdomen," she told her, gesturing to her own chest to show where the electrodes were to be placed.

Asuna closed the blinds, had the nurse turn around, took off her shirt, lay down and quickly attached the electrodes to herself, pulling the sheets up and calling out to Nurse Aki.

"Um, Nurse?" she asked. "Could you pass me the Amusphere?"

The nurse placed the gear around Asuna's head with a kind smile. She told Asuna to quickly check whether all the electrodes were properly connected to the machine while she turned away.

Asuna pulled the sheets back down, ran her eyes over her body, confirming that all the electrodes were firmly attached to the machine, and yanked them back up over her breasts.

"They're fine, Nurse! I'm going in now!" she called, reaching up and turning on her Amusphere.

"Link start!" she said, excited to see what Gun Gale Online had in store for her, but at the same time slightly apprehensive about this killer.

Oh, well. Now wasn't the time for doubts. She was doing this for Kirito, and for herself – to prove she was still the same strong Asuna from Sword Art Online. To prove she wasn't the weakling she was forced to be in ALfheim Online. To prove that all she needed was her brain and her speed – and not some wealthy, ancient idiot her mother wished her to marry.

Clearing these thoughts from her brain, Asuna plunged into the strange new world of Gun Gale Online and thought of ALfheim, her mother and her troubles no more.

* * *

Kirito looked quickly at himself in the mirror.

Dark eyes, check.

Pale skin, check.

Waist-length black hair, effeminate face and tiny figure, check – wait, what?!

Kirito did a double take.

What the hell? Why in all the worlds did he look like a girl?

He sighed in resignation. He'd have to wait for Asuna to show up and then convince her to swap bodies with him, unless hers was even girlier. What guy would want this body?

This thought was quickly proved wrong by a tall, burly guy with an excited look in his eyes.

"Hey, miss, mind selling me that avatar? I have a prettier one for you! Yours is really rare – one in a million! I'll give you lots of money for it!" he offered.

"Um, no, and I'm a guy," Kirito said with an inward wince. Even his voice sounded girly!

The other male's eyes widened. "A guy? That's even rarer! Please, please sell it to me! I'll give you all the money I have!"

"No thanks," Kirito sighed. "I'm good."

The man walked away in disappointment, shoulders slumped. Kirito gave himself another once-over in the mirror.

So this was a rare avatar, huh? Must have some special power. Kirito decided to hang on to it till he figured out what it was. Or better yet, give it to Asuna. The avatar looked like it was built for speed. Asuna would have a gala of a time with it.

Speaking of Asuna... where was she? It had been fifteen minutes since Kirito got here. Damn, where was she?

Suddenly, a lean person about an inch taller than him with short, close-cropped orangey-brown hair appeared in front of Kirito. He (she? The chest was slightly bigger than what a normal male – even a fat one – would have) had brown eyes and wore the slightly disoriented expression Kirito knew so well. Could it be...

"A – Asuna?!" he spluttered in complete shock.

"How – how did you know? Unless... Kirito?" she stared at his new feminine body with the same amount of bewilderment.

And then she began to laugh.

"Hahahahaha!" she guffawed, her voice unusually deep and not at all what Kirito was used to. "Kirito... you look like a girl!"

"I know what I look like, no need to poke fun! And anyway, have you looked at yourself?" he asked in irritation.

Asuna looked in the mirror, and yelped. "Ah! What the heck? I look like a mixture of Klein, Agil and any lean-built anime guy ever!"

Now it was Kirito's turn to laugh his ass off.

"Stop laughing! It's not funny!" Asuna huffed, arms crossed.

"Yeah, and it was funny when it was me?" Kirito demanded.

"Yes. Yes, it was!" Asuna broke out into another peal of laughter, and Kirito couldn't help but join in.

"So you want to swap bodies? That one looks like it's made for strength, and this one feels like it's made for agility. It'll probably suit you better."

Asuna nodded in agreement. "I'll buy yours, and you buy mine."

The transaction was quickly made, and both quickly adjusted the facial features to look more like themselves. Kirito changed the light hair and eyes to black and made the hair a little longer. Asuna changed her hair colour to her natural orange-brown and the eyes to brown, and re-coordinated her outfit colour from purple and white to red and white. Kirito did the exact opposite.

Kirito smiled at his girlfriend and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

"I see someone there who seems like she could help us," Asuna told him, pulling away and pointing at an aqua-haired girl carrying a sniper. She seemed reclusive and quiet. "Let's go introduce ourselves!"

Kirito allowed himself to be dragged along by an eager Asuna, a light smile on his lips.

He'd missed playing games with her.

It was good to be just the two of them.

His smile broadened.

Anything that happened, he had Asuna, and she had him. They would weather this like they had done everything that had come their way.

They would do this together.


End file.
